Filipino-Indian businessmen urge Pakistan to end attacks vs. India

A Filipino-Indian business organization in the Philippines urged Thursday the Pakistani government to honor its commitment to end attacks against India.

In a statement, the 100,000-strong Filipino Indian Commerce and Welfare Society Inc. (FICWSI) welcomed the ceasefire between India and Pakistan after days of attack between the two countries.

"I urge the Government of Pakistan to reaffirm and fulfill its stated commitment to peace by taking credible and transparent steps to end all support for terrorism directed against India," Manila-based businessman Manjinder "James" Kumar, who leads the FICWSI, said in a press release.

This was also in response to Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's address to the
nation on May 12 in which he mentioned that "while the present age wasn't one of war, it was also not one of terrorism and that zero tolerance against terrorism is the guarantee for a better world."

According to its website, FICWSI is a recognized and registered non-profit, non-stock organization in the Philippines. Its membership is mostly Indians and some Filipinos, "forging a collaborative network of business- and socio-civic minded individuals in the country."

Earlier reports said Pakistan and India have agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire after days of deadly jet fighter, missile, drone and artillery attacks.

The ceasefire came after four days of attacks and counter-attacks by both sides, which claimed the lives of at least 60 people and forced thousands of civilians to flee their homes along their border as well as in divided Kashmir.

India had accused the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba—a UN-designated terrorist organization—of carrying out the attack, but Islamabad has denied any involvement and called for an independent probe.

However, India also alleged that Pakistan had violated the pact after artillery fire and attack drones were witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir, the center of much of the fighting. — VDV, GMA Integrated News